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It says in the Rema in OC Siman 98 Sif 1 that it's ossur to kiss a child in shul. There are perhaps exceptions to this rule and cases where it would be allowed however that's that it says in the Rema (See here for many details in this halacha.)

Under the normal circumstances where it's ossur, would it also be ossur in the Ezras Nashim (i.e. for a woman to kiss a child in that part of the shul)?

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    Ezras Nashim is the shul one can daven there btzibur siman 55
    – sam
    Commented Oct 9, 2013 at 3:54
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    I have been told by an OR that since this law occurs in Hilchos Tefillo and not in Hilchos Beis Haknesses, it should be allowed to kiss a child not at the time of prayer.
    – Avrohom Yitzchok
    Commented Dec 21, 2013 at 18:59
  • @sam he.wikisource.org/wiki/…
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Apr 1, 2014 at 4:43
  • @doubleAA ,Mishna Brurah נב) מצטרף עמהם - דאף דיש הפסק מחיצה ביניהם כיון דמראה להם פניו דומה למה שמבואר לקמן בסימן קצ"ה לענין זימון דאם מקצתן רואין אלו את אלו דמצטרפין וא"כ לפ"ז פשוט העומדים בעזרת נשים ובמחיצה המפסקת יש חלון ומראה להם פניו משם מצטרף עמהם לעשרה וכ"ש דאם יש בלעדו עשרה נחשב תפלה בצבור עי"ז ואעפ"כ יותר טוב אם בנקל הוא לו לירד לבהכ"נ שירד דיש מהאחרונים שחולקין על עיקר הדין וסוברין דענינינו אינו דומה כלל לזימון
    – sam
    Commented Apr 20, 2014 at 20:55
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    @Avrohom Yitzchok- this idea has been said in the name of reb Moshe Feinstein along with people having witnessed him kiss children in shul not during tefila. I have personally seen his son Reb Dovid do the same.
    – user6591
    Commented Jul 20, 2014 at 4:23

2 Answers 2

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R' Avraham Yosef (son of the late R' Ovadia Yosef) was asked this question.

He replied that there's no difference, and that the Ezras Nashim counts as the Shul and thus forbidden.

?האם מותר לתת נשיקה לחברה בבית הכנסת בעזרת נשים, כשאין ספר תורה בחוץ

בביהכ''נ לא מנשקים כדי להראות שאין חיבה כחיבת הקב''ה

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In the country I come from, to kiss anyone or anything in the shul besides the Torah was forbidden. In the shul, we are in the presence of the Shechinah. After the Shechinah, no one and nothing is holier than His Torah. Therefore, not to disrespect Hashem's presence and not to insult the Torah, we were not allowed to kiss anyone or anything in the shul besides the Torah. Jews of former Soviet Georgia have been observing this tradition over 24 centuries.

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    I'm not sure about the historicity of the final statement, but thank you for your input. Can you provide a source that specifically addresses the question as to whether one may kiss a child in the women's section of the Shul?
    – Seth J
    Commented Oct 22, 2013 at 13:33
  • @tamar this law is written in the Shulchan Aruch
    – sam
    Commented Nov 22, 2013 at 1:00
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    What about sefarim when being put away or after being dropped?
    – Noach MiFrankfurt
    Commented Feb 19, 2014 at 20:22

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